As I Recall
by Goddess of Unfinished Projects
Summary: The train, a mode of transportation to some but to me, a way of life. I love the sound and feel of the train. The jolting movements of their starts and stops, the gentle glide of their travel . . .
1. All Aboard!

**Author's Note: First FMA fic I've ever posted. Yes, that is an OC opening the story. No, there is no romantic subplot (YAY!). No, she's not a Mary Sue (note the lack of exceptionally horrific past! No resurrected brothers/sisters/mothers/fathers/etc.). I have strived to make her like the other women in the series and I hope (crosses fingers) that I'll do well with that.**

**_"One day you'll see her and you'll know what I mean_**

**_Take her or leave her, she will still be the same_**

**_She'll not try to buy you with her time_**

**_But nothing's the same as you can see when she's gone"_**

**_-"This Side" Nickel Creek_**

**Chapter 1: All Aboard**

The train, a mode of transportation to some but to me, a way of life. I love the sound and feel of the train. The jolting movements of their starts and stops, the gentle glide of their travel. The whistles and rattles, they have been my lullaby and anthem for so long now that I've forgotten much else . . . Or so I say. Hard to forget where one comes from really, it's a part of you, ingrained as much as your eye color or speech patterns. No, you can't escape the past that way. Believe me, I know people who've tried. Hell, I've tried. But it all ends in heartache. It is who you are and, to forget who you are . . . That way leads to madness.

My name is Adelle Barso and _my_ story begins about twenty years ago in a little town about sixteen miles outside of Central called Melicar. I was your average child, middling height, middling weight, middling attitude, straight brown hair, brown eyes, rather unremarkable really. The life I lived with my parents was simple, mother was the town midwife and father was a tinker who dabbled in the use of alchemy to fix things. My grandfather was a commanding military officer in the Ishbal rebellion, the sweetest man you ever met. The rebellion did terrible things to his mind though. After his return he was never the same. He would have terrible nightmares and sometimes forget where he was. One day we found him collapsed in the sitting room, dead. Grandmother said he'd given up, she'd found the empty bottle of poison in his bedside drawer.

I was fifteen at the time, young, stupid, and naïve. I recall clinging to my father at the funeral begging for him to bring Grandpa back. Mom was the one to explain. I now know how much I hurt my father with my pleading, it was his father that lay in the ground and I was begging him to do what he wished he could do the most. It was a selfish wish on both our parts. The results would have only brought more suffering.

Two years later, at the age of seventeen, I left town with some distant dream of becoming an automail designer. The dream dissipated at my first sight of the trains. Suddenly, I knew what I wanted to do more than anything. That's how I got my first job. A young man had seen me studying the trains and had approached me. As it turned out he worked for the company that ran the trains and he was looking to hire someone. He needed a person to ride the rails each day on different trains to inspect their efficiency. He wanted it done in secret because he was suspicious that some of his workers weren't operating up to snuff. I was a prime candidate, he said, because of my forgettable face, no offense intended of course. I readily accepted and became a railway inspector or, as most men call it, a spotter. The best part was the constant contact with my beloved trains. Mother and Father were hesitant about my occupation at first but when they saw that I was earning more than enough to keep myself fed and clothed they were happy for me.

It was a year later that I met the Elrics.

That is where _my_ story ends . . . and where theirs begins.


	2. First Stop, Fullmetal

**Chapter 2: First Stop, Fullmetal**

I remember it like it was yesterday, after all, it isn't everyday that one meets the infamous Fullmetal Alchemist. Though, with my record of travel, I had met many alchemists on their way to and from places. I was beginning to make a list in my journal of those I had met and those I wanted to meet. It was a sort of game to pass my idle time between trains. A girlish fancy really.

It was a beautiful spring day, almost a complete year since I had taken this job. The train was rather crowded that day because of a festival occurring in the local town to which we were traveling. I had barely managed to secure a booth for myself, the last empty one. Settling in, I had taken out my book and begun to write about my expectations for this trip but I was interrupted by the sound of a suitcase rattling onto the luggage rack above my head. Looking up, I saw an armored man towering above me. Beside me a boyish voice remarked, "This seat taken?"

I turned to face the newcomer, a short blond boy with a long trailing red jacket. Now, at this point in time I had only heard stories of the Fullmetal Alchemist and-as anyone knows-stories never match up to the actual person. To me he was a total stranger, just some kid asking for a seat on the train. Silently, I scooted over and offered him half the seat. He took it casually. His friend, the armored man from before, gingerly scooted onto his own seat across from me, careful to avoid snagging his armor or crushing anyone's toes. I stiffened and turned back to writing in my book, my concentration blown. As a result of growing up in a small town with wide open spaces the concept of being jammed so tightly into a booth with two male strangers was more than a little unnerving. As the train was full, however, I had no other option but to stick it out until the end of the line. I was due to return to Central sometime this week and now that I was crammed on the train I regretted the decision of picking a holiday to leave on.

A movement to my left drew my attention and I realized that the young blonde had retrieved a small leather bound volume from somewhere inside that coat of his and was scribbling furiously in it. Silently, I turned my attention to the window, hoping to pass the time by enjoying the view.

The morning passed between us in a relative silence. I say relative as the rest of the train passengers were quite noisy and boisterous. Eventually, bored with the view and curious about my fellow seat mates, I started small talk, "Beautiful country, huh?"

The helmet's face turned towards me and a childishly high pitched voice spoke, "Yes, it's very beautiful. Reminds me of home."

The blonde grunted at this but didn't speak. My tension eased slightly, they were just kids after all. The big one seemed older but his voice said otherwise and the small one was so youthful in his looks that he couldn't be more than twelve or thirteen.

"Yeah? This is home to me. I grew up around here. Where are you from?" I asked, smiling up at the big guy.

"We're from Risemboul but it's been awhile since we've been back." he replied.

"Risemboul . . . Hmmm . . . I don't think I've been there yet." I remarked, thinking. I recalled seeing the name on the map once but that was about it, "And where are you two headed this morning?"

"Melicar, have you ever heard of it?" he asked softly and politely, seemingly pleased to be spoken to.

I flashed him a smile, "Heard of it? It's my hometown!"

This caught the blonde's attention. He looked up from his scribbling and closed his book with a snap, "Your hometown? Then, have you ever heard anything about an alchemist named Thomas Lan?"

"Thomas Lan?" I repeated, "Sure, he was a friend of my grandfather's."

"Really?" the armored man leaned forward a little and said to the blonde, "Ed, this could be our big break!"

The blonde nodded his reply then turned back to me, "You wouldn't happen to know where he lives would you? We're looking for him."

"Well, to be honest, I'm not sure. He was local man but I can't give you an exact address." I replied.

The blonde sighed then brightened, "Well, at least we know he's still around."

The armor nodded.

"What are you looking for him for?" I asked, intrigued.

"We're interested in his research. We wanted to ask him a few questions." the blonde responded.

"Well, I'll tell you what. I'm due to be back in Central by the end of the week so I've got some spare time and I've been meaning to stop by and visit my parents. How about you accompany me? My father could tell you where Thomas lives more than likely." I offered.

"Couldn't hurt, I guess. Do you know any good inns we could stay at around here?" the blonde asked.

"Inns? We have one but with the festival it's going to be full up, always is this time of year. We have some extra beds though. My mothers a midwife so we always have spare rooms open for incoming mothers. She won't mind the company, she loves to cook."

"Sounds good to me, what about you Al?" my seat mate turned to look to his companion.

Al nodded with an affirmative noise.

I laughed as a sudden thought hit me, _"Mom always did say strays followed me home."_

"What's funny?" the blonde asked.

"Nothing," I responded, waving my hand dismissively, "I just realized I invited two strangers home with me without asking their names or introducing myself. I'm Adelle Barso."

"I'm Alphonse Elric and this is my older brother." the armored man said, gesturing to my seat mate.

"Well, you've probably heard of me. I'm Edward Elric, the Fullmetal Alchemist!" he responded in a boasting tone.

I blinked in surprise and reached into my bag to retrieve my book, "Really now? Then could you do me a favor?"

"What?" he asked, looking at me curiously.

I shoved the pen and open book beneath his nose, "Sign next to your name? I'm making a collection."

Edward blinked, "Of what?" he scanned the list, "Oh . . . Wait, you've met all of these alchemists?"

"Only the ones with signatures." I replied, blushing a little.

"And the check marks?" he asked, signing his name.

"Those are the ones I've seen but haven't spoken to." I replied.

"Why would you want alchemist's autographs?" he asked, scanning the list and showing it to Alphonse.

I shrugged, "It's a hobby. I need something to keep me busy on the trains."

"Really?" Alphonse asked, "Brother and I play cards usually . . ."

"Yeah? What's your game?"

"Poker." Ed replied with a shrug.

With a smile I asked, "Care for a round?"

Edward fished in his jacket and held up a deck with a slight smile, "I'll deal."


End file.
